Boston officers’ OT time in court disputed

Hub police, DA at odds on need for appearances

Boston police officers collected more than 400 hours of overtime pay over a two-year period for court appearances that were not officially requested by the prosecutors overseeing the cases, according to a Globe analysis of a costly system that police acknowledge has been ripe for abuse.

The 32 officers, from the department’s drug unit, received pay for 91 instances in which they said they were called to testify in court for trials, case conferences, or motions hearings — claims that were not backed up by copies of court notices kept by the Suffolk district attorney’s office.